Adelphi University Athletics

Adelphi's Lanuza and Leonard Complete Internship at Atlantic Grupa in Croatia

9/11/2025 12:00:00 PM

Zagreb, Croatia — Adelphi University's Francis Lanuza of men’s golf and Christopher Leonard of cross country and track and field made headlines this summer — each completing internships at one of the largest distribution companies in Europe.

Lanuza and Leonard returned to Garden City this fall after spending the summer interning at Atlantic Grupa, a leading distribution company in Southeast Europe. The company is known for popular products like Cedevita, Cockta, and Smoki — snack and beverage items beloved by Croatians and their Balkan neighbors.

Both athletes spoke about their roles and reflected on the experience.

"I was responsible for making sure that my brands were successfully hitting their targets for the year," Lanuza said. "Besides this, I was doing sales forecasting, analyzing buying patterns and customer trends, studying marketing campaigns, and going out in the field to check our products on the shelves".

Francis Lanuza

"My day-to-day responsibilities ranged from creating engaging content for multiple social media platforms to conducting in-depth research on competitors’ corporate strategies, as well as tracking trends and performance metrics to help optimize our overall marketing efforts."

Christopher Leonard

In addition to their many responsibilities, the athletes had strong support around them. Lanuza had multiple employees who served as mentors. Each provided him with insight into a different market, ranging from baby brands and cosmetics to the beverage division. Leonard took time to thank the team he had around him for showing him the ins and outs of the corporate world, while still making the whole experience immersive and memorable.

"All in all, I am really grateful that I got to experience this internship. It was a huge blessing in my life. I learned a lot from my mentors and from traveling to Croatia, which was an adjustment in itself — especially since I'm an international student and applying for visas was difficult. However, it really turned out to be so memorable."

Francis Lanuza

"Outside the office, I embraced the opportunity to explore a new city and culture—trying local foods, meeting new people, and navigating the scenic streets of Zagreb," Leonard said. "Balancing full-time work with cross-country training was challenging but made the experience even more rewarding. My time at Atlantic Grupa was both professionally enriching and personally transformative, offering insight into global brand operations and leaving me with lasting memories and lessons beyond the workplace."

Christopher Leonard

Both Panthers will enter their senior seasons this fall. Lanuza is coming off his most successful collegiate campaign, earning all-conference second team honors and setting career bests for both a single round (67) and a 36-hole tournament (139). Leonard returns for his final year as a key contributor in both cross country and track and field. Lanuza and the Panthers opened their season on Sept. 5 at the Farmingdale Fall Invitational, while Leonard and the XC team began their campaign on Sept. 6 at the LIU XC Invite.